fundamental motor skills and patterns (i.e., throwing, catching, walking, running)
skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports)
What We Do Adapted Physical Education (APE) is an instructional service provided to support HISD’s comprehensive physical education (PE) program. Its purpose is to provide instructional staff (i.e., physical education teachers, teacher assistants, and special education teachers) with the activities and instructional strategies and or procedures needed to adapt physical education to the specific strengths and needs of students with disabilities who need the service, as determined by an APE evaluation. APE is designed to address the individual needs of a student as indicated in the student’s individualized education program (IEP).
HISD’s physical education curriculum focuses on the development of fitness for life. The district’s instructional curriculum supports a developed knowledge of fitness and psychomotor skills through a variety of activities based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Physical Education Section 28.002. Students with disabilities are provided full access to the same programs as their non-disabled peers and afforded the opportunity to participate in the general physical education program. The APE teacher supports the PE teacher to facilitate success and inclusion of students with disabilities in the general physical education program.
Screening The Screening for Instructional Strategies Adapted Physical Education (APE) must be completed by the teacher initiating a referral for adapted physical education. Once completed, it should be forwarded to Aaron Miller, APE teacher, by email to amiller1@houstonisd.org or fax to 713-434-5294 or district mail to the Office of Special Education Services (SFO) HISD Rt. 5.
Aaron contacts the APE teacher who will schedule a student observation with the designated campus representative. Upon completion, Part 3 Comments/Observations section will be completed and sent to the ARD/IEP Program Specialist.
Screening results include:If the results indicate that no further evaluation is warranted, the student will remain in his/her current setting and the campus staff should implement the strategies and/or accommodations recommended by the APE teacher to ensure that the student with disabilities is given the same opportunities for successful participation in the general physical education program as his or her non-disabled peers.
Suggestions for the student’s parents or teachers to implement as a general strategy in the classroom or at home
Training for school personnel on strategies to support this educational concern in the educational setting
An observation that the student is progressing in the identified curriculum area or educational goal with the current program in place
Recommendation for an evaluation to determine the educational need for adapted physical education services
Referral for Evaluation
If the screening results warrant further evaluation, the APE teacher will notify the person who submitted the The Screening for Instructional Strategies Adapted Physical.
The APE teacher will contact the parent to provide notice of intent to evaluate (Prior Written Notice form) and obtain written informed parental consent.
The signed consent form shall be forwarded to the ARD/IEP Program Specialist, by fax at 713-556-7589, or district mail to the Office of Special Education Services HISD Rt. 10. The original consent document should be filed in the student's special education eligibility folder.
Evaluation Procedures
Evaluation procedures are used to interpret the data collected from screening and evaluation instruments, observations, and review of records to assist the ARD/IEP Committee in determining a student’s eligibility for APE services.
An evaluation is completed within 45 days of obtaining the parent or adult student’s written consent to evaluate.
Once written parental consent has been established, the APE teacher will contact the student’s campus to schedule an observation to evaluate the student
The APE teacher will evaluate the student to determine his/her current level of gross motor development.
Based on the review of the evaluation data, the report will be written in EasyIEP FIE Writer by the APE teacher.
Once the evaluation is complete, the APE teacher will submit the evaluation to the adapted APE staff for peer review.
This report includes recommendations to the ARD//IEP Committee regarding the student’s eligibility for APE services and service delivery options.The APE teacher will draft goals and objectives for adapted physical education that the general physical education teachers or classroom teacher/teacher assistant will implement based on the evaluation results.
The written report is accessible in EasyIEP FIE Writer under Student History
A hard copy of the evaluation and eligibility report will be provided to the parent or adult student, campus APE service provider, special education department chairperson, and/or case manager prior to scheduling the ARD/IEP meeting
Original copies of these documents will be placed in the student’s special education eligibility folder.
ARD/IEP Committee Meeting Procedures
An ARD/IEP Committee meeting will be held within 15 days of the evaluation.
The special education department chairperson or case manager will obtain copies of the student’s draft goals, objectives, and evaluation report to share with the parents as part of the Notice of Admission, Review, and Dismissal/Individualized Education Program (ARD/IEP) Committee Meeting.
Participants, including the APE teacher who will provide the evaluation report to the ARD/IEP Committee, will be notified by the case manager or department chairperson about the ARD/IEP Committee meeting date and time.
The ARD/IEP Committee will determine eligibility for APE services based on recommendations in the student’s evaluation report and input from ARD/IEP Committee members.
The ARD/IEP Committee may make recommendations to support the student in general physical education classes through a service delivery model which may include modeling, collaboration, and or consultation, based on the needs of the student and student's teacher.
If the student does not meet eligibility criteria to receive APE services, the student will remain in general physical education classes without APE supports.
If the student meets eligibility criteria to receive APE services, the ARD/IEP Committee will determine:
the service delivery model
the location, frequency, and duration of needed services, as well as required goals and objectives.
Appropriate data will be placed in the student’s special education eligibility folder, including:
Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).
Strengths and weaknesses identified and presented as benchmarks from which progress is measured
Criteria used to determine the appropriate delivery of services and placement in the least restrictive environment
Re-Evaluation
Prior to a re-evaluation, prior written notice and informed written consent must be obtained from the parent or adult student.
Re-evaluations are conducted every three years to determine:
continued eligibility for APE services, or
eligibility as part of a full and individual evaluation (FIE)
The APE teacher will review previous evaluation results, goals and objectives, and current data as applicable from teachers, service providers, and others with knowledge of the student.
Once the evaluation is complete, the APE teacher will submit the evaluation to the adapted APE staff for peer review.
The APE teacher will draft the evaluation report for presentation to the ARD/IEP Committee. Based on the results of the re-evaluation, the ARD/IEP Committee will determine:
Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP),
Educational needs of the student,
The appropriate service delivery model in the least restrictive environment (LRE), or
Whether there is a continuing educational need for APE services.
Criteria for Dismissal
The student may be dismissed from APE services by the ARD/IEP Committee according to at least one of the following criteria:
The student no longer meets age eligibility criteria as defined by the TEA
The ARD/IEP Committee determines that the student no longer has an educational need for APE services
The student has met mastery of annual goals and objectives as stated in the IEP, which may include graduation requirements for physical education of 1 credit
The ARD/IEP Committee determines physical education is inappropriate for the student because of a physical or medical condition defined by the student's physician and reviewed by the HISD nurse
What's Required
The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that physical education services must be made available to every student with a disability to ensure students receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Federal law defines physical education as the development of:
What We Do
Adapted Physical Education (APE) is an instructional service provided to support HISD’s comprehensive physical education (PE) program. Its purpose is to provide instructional staff (i.e., physical education teachers, teacher assistants, and special education teachers) with the activities and instructional strategies and or procedures needed to adapt physical education to the specific strengths and needs of students with disabilities who need the service, as determined by an APE evaluation. APE is designed to address the individual needs of a student as indicated in the student’s individualized education program (IEP).
HISD’s physical education curriculum focuses on the development of fitness for life. The district’s instructional curriculum supports a developed knowledge of fitness and psychomotor skills through a variety of activities based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Physical Education Section 28.002. Students with disabilities are provided full access to the same programs as their non-disabled peers and afforded the opportunity to participate in the general physical education program. The APE teacher supports the PE teacher to facilitate success and inclusion of students with disabilities in the general physical education program.
Screening
The Screening for Instructional Strategies Adapted Physical Education (APE) must be completed by the teacher initiating a referral for adapted physical education. Once completed, it should be forwarded to Aaron Miller, APE teacher, by email to amiller1@houstonisd.org or fax to 713-434-5294 or district mail to the Office of Special Education Services (SFO) HISD Rt. 5.
Suggestions for the student’s parents or teachers to implement as a general strategy in the classroom or at home
Training for school personnel on strategies to support this educational concern in the educational setting
Referral for Evaluation
Evaluation Procedures
Evaluation procedures are used to interpret the data collected from screening and evaluation instruments, observations, and review of records to assist the ARD/IEP Committee in determining a student’s eligibility for APE services.
ARD/IEP Committee Meeting Procedures
- The special education department chairperson or case manager will obtain copies of the student’s draft goals, objectives, and evaluation report to share with the parents as part of the Notice of Admission, Review, and Dismissal/Individualized Education Program (ARD/IEP) Committee Meeting.
- Participants, including the APE teacher who will provide the evaluation report to the ARD/IEP Committee, will be notified by the case manager or department chairperson about the ARD/IEP Committee meeting date and time.
- The ARD/IEP Committee will determine eligibility for APE services based on recommendations in the student’s evaluation report and input from ARD/IEP Committee members.
- The ARD/IEP Committee may make recommendations to support the student in general physical education classes through a service delivery model which may include modeling, collaboration, and or consultation, based on the needs of the student and student's teacher.
- If the student does not meet eligibility criteria to receive APE services, the student will remain in general physical education classes without APE supports.
- If the student meets eligibility criteria to receive APE services, the ARD/IEP Committee will determine:
- the service delivery model
- the location, frequency, and duration of needed services, as well as required goals and objectives.
- Appropriate data will be placed in the student’s special education eligibility folder, including:
- Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).
- Strengths and weaknesses identified and presented as benchmarks from which progress is measured
- Criteria used to determine the appropriate delivery of services and placement in the least restrictive environment
Re-EvaluationAn ARD/IEP Committee meeting will be held within 15 days of the evaluation.
Re-evaluations are conducted every three years to determine:Prior to a re-evaluation, prior written notice and informed written consent must be obtained from the parent or adult student.
The APE teacher will review previous evaluation results, goals and objectives, and current data as applicable from teachers, service providers, and others with knowledge of the student.
Criteria for Dismissal
The student may be dismissed from APE services by the ARD/IEP Committee according to at least one of the following criteria:
The student no longer meets age eligibility criteria as defined by the TEA
The ARD/IEP Committee determines that the student no longer has an educational need for APE services
The student has met mastery of annual goals and objectives as stated in the IEP, which may include graduation requirements for physical education of 1 credit
The ARD/IEP Committee determines physical education is inappropriate for the student because of a physical or medical condition defined by the student's physician and reviewed by the HISD nurse
Forms
Resources